Plate finishing machine



May 27, 1941. o. c. RoEsEN PLATE FINISHING MACHINE Filed Dec.V 17, 1938 s sheets-sheet 1 Ehm.

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o. QROESEN PLATE FINISHNG MAQHINE May 27, 1941. l

May 27, 1941.

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PLATE FINWISHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 17, 195s 1 5 'Sheets-sheet s @NN WNW www W Patented May 27, 1941 UNETED STATES AT- i 12 Claims.

This invention dealsI with the type of machine used in the manufacture Qf stereotype printing plates, wherein theV plate is shaved. or finished to. the true curvature and thickness. In the particular embodiment shown, theplate isplaced upon a receiving and inspection platform,Y and after being inspected it is started d own an inclined run.- way carrying rollers. It, first comes in contact with what is known as the first plate stop. This stop times the entry of the plate into theshaving. arch, ThllS, When the first plate stop is depressed, the plate is released and travels in onv an inclination until it contacts the second plate stop, holding the plate underneathV the arch. By suitable clamping mechanism the plate is then lifted up and placed firmly .against the1 shaving arch. A knife bar, carrying aV shaving knife or knives, rotates to nish the customary ribs or surface on the concave side of the printing plate. After the knives and trimming tools have performed their functions, the plate is then aut-o,- matic-ally lowered out of contact with the shaving arch, the second plate stop lowers, and the plate is lallowed to pass on to the water-cooling, chamber. i

It has been found that even with the shaving knives setV for the same gauge, a second rotation of the shaving knife will take :an ladditional cut from the plate since there is some spring or resiliency to the plate. The springiness in a stereotype plate during shaving is particularly noticeable in plates having large open spaces, such as is found in many full page `advertisement-s. In the present type of shaver, a single knife takes a cut from the ribs on the concave side of the .plate and very often, .because of* the spring of the plate, it: does' not fit the printing press cylinder accurately.

One of the objects of this particular invention is to provide two knives with means for adjusting each one separately.` By taking two cuts with a single revolution, the effect of part of the springiness of the plate is eliminated since it is then not necessary to take such a heavy cutwith the one knife,` thu-s tov further refine the Iaccuracy with which this shaving machine oper-ates. Another object of this invention is to providev an automatic devicefor permitting the stereotype plate to remain clamped in the shavi-ng arch While-the knife barY makes two revolutions. Thus,

with a single knife, there would be two. separate cuts, or with tWoknives on the knife bar there would be four separate cuts. After the knife bar has made two revolutions, the plate isv then au.-

tomatically lowered andlpermitted to 4pass out l;

01 -eration of; the arch withA a new plate .coming in tc be acted upon in a similar man-ner.

It is an object of this invention to, by the mere throwing of a lever, set this double. revolution mechanism into action. It is 1an object to provide means for preventing action of the first, plate stop. during the time that. a palte is clamped in the arch for its second revolution of the knife bar. This is done by silencing therst plate stop flu-ring the. second revolution of the knife bar. Another object of this invention is` to providel means for turning the dev-ice easily intov a one revolution machine, when desired.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will vappear hereinafter.

Reference is to be .had to, the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is an elevation of the machine, more orless in cross section, showing a portion of the double revolution devi-ce;

Fig. 2. is a cross section on the line 2-.2 of Fig. 1 showing an end view of the. arch with the plate clamped therein yand in its lowered position in dotted lines;

Y Fig. 3 isV a sectional View .on the line 3 3. of

Fig.l l `and .shows the prinicipal parts Vof the. double revolution device;

Fig. 4 a view similar to'part of Fig. 3, showing the parts arranged for single revolution op-` Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 5, of Fig. 3;

Figs. 6. and 7 show details `of the main drive.;

Fig. 8 isa transverse sectional view, showing thesecond plate stop. and the operation thereof, .and Y Fig. 9 is a detailed View of the mechanism for silencing the first plate stop when the double revolution mechanism is employed.

Referring now to Fis.. 1 the machine is made 1inprincipally of three parts; namely. the main, frame 3l l, a receiving end 3i 2 and a delivery end als. The plates to be finished are placed 01.1, e platform, 31,4 and, after inspection, are moved downwardly yon rollers 315 until the forward edgeof the plate abuts, a first stop. 36. The `operation of this stop is controlled by a rotating cam 3|. The cam 3l is secured to a knife bar 6 which derives its rotation from a motor 3.18, securedl to the under portion of the loading platform 314. The connection is made through a pinion 319 yand a gear 326, which gear is mounted on a shaftk 3,21, .as shown in Fig. '7. Referring also to Fig. 6 the shaft 32| has integral therewith` a worm 322 which meshes with a Worm wheel 323vca1'ried by a shaft 324, said shaft being mounted in suitable ball bearings 325 and 326. Integral with the shaft 324 is a worm 321 meshing with a worm wheel 328, mounted on a barring hub sleeve 329. This worm wheel is free to rotate on said sleeve but is connected thereto by a shear pin 330. The barring hub sleeve 329 is secured to the knife bar shaft 6 by a key 33| and held in place by lock nuts 332. Tapered roller bearings 333 and 334v provide a mounting for the knife bar shaft 6. This knife bar shaft is concentric with the shaving arch portion of the main frame 3| I. In this manner rotation is provided for the knife bar 6. Attached to the knife bar 6 are shaving knives 335 and 336, Fig. 2, which serve to shavethe ribs carried on the concave portion of the plate or a smooth inside concave surface. This is done when the pl-ate is clamped in the arch, substantially as shown in Fig. 2. It will be understood that these knives 335 and 336 are radially adjustable on the knife bar so that they may beset to give the desired depths of cut. Y

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 3, an operating handle 20|, which is placed in a convenient position near the load-ing end of the finishing machine, is pinned t a shaft 202. A double shave latch trip 203 (-Fig. 3) is fixed to the opposite end of said shaft in such position that motion of the handle will cause a trip 203 to come vin contact with, and engage, a lever 204. A trip detent 205 located in the frame 3|| by a holder 206 is forced against, and holds, the trip 203 in position for the desired operating cycle by means of a spring `201. A stud 206a cooperating with a slot in a trip detent 205 limits its longitudinal motion.

VThe lever 264 is mounted free torpivot about a stud shaft 43. A stud 2|0 carries a roller V209 at the end of one arm ofthe lever 204. A spring rod 2|I, carrying a compression spring '2|2, is pivotally attached to the lever 204 by a stud 2 I3. The free end of the spring rod 2| passes through a poppet 2|4 mounted on the frame 3| I. The spring action tends to rotate the lever 204 and forces the roller 209 into contact vwith a cam 2|5 that is attached to an intermediate gear 2|6 (Figs. 1, 3 and 5). Said intermediate gear is ball bearing mounted on a stud 2 and connects a plate lifting cam gear 2|8 to a plate lifting cam drive gear 28 fastened to the knife bar `6.

The intermediate gear 2 |`6 has a pitch diameter that is twice that of each of gears 2|8 and 28 and, therefore, will make half as many revolutions per minute. The knife bar 6, gear 28, and plate lifting cam gear 2|8 will revolve equal revolutions per minute.

The lifting cam gear 2|8 is mounted on a plate lifting cam 220 which is in turn rotatably mounted on the stud shaft 43. The left-hand end of the stud shaft 43 is supported by a bracket 239 secured to the frame 3|| of the machine. The cam 230 operates a plate lifting yoke 22! by means of a roller 222 and stud 223 mounted on said yoke. The yoke 22 is supported on hinge studs 224 which are secured in the ends of levers 225 an-d 225. 'Ihe levers 22'5 and 226 are keyed to shafts 221 and 22B respectively. Oscillation cf said shafts causes the plate lifters to function, lifting the plate into, or lowering it from, the arch in a well known manner. One method of doing this is described in patent application Serial Number 754,579, filed November 24, 1934, in the name of Henry A. Wise Wood, but it will be understood that any Well known arrangement of links and supports may be used for this purpose. One arm of the lever 226 is designed in such a manner that it can be moved against and engage the lever 204.

As shown in Fig. 3, the machine is set for double shave cycle, since a surface 203a of the trip 203 is disengaged and held away from a surface 1204" of the lever 204. The gear 2|8 will operate a cam 220 which will move a yoke 22| and subsequently cause levers 225 and 226 to Y. pivot about the axis of shafts 22T and 228 to operate the plate lifting mechanism. When .the roller 222 is on the high part` of the cam 220, the plate will be clamp-ed firmly in the arch.

l Rotation of the knife bar will cause the gear 2|6 and cam 2|5 to turn and operate the lever 204. The movement of the roller 209 on the lowpart lof' the cam 2|5 will bring the arm of the lever 204 into the path of the lever 226.

At this position in the double shave cycle, the levers226 and 204 will be locked together at 204e'. This lock-ing will prevent motion of the levers 226 and 225 to lower the plate from the arch after the first shave. These levers will remain locked during .the succeeding shaving operation, after which the cam 2 I5, completing its single revolution to the knife bars two revolutions, will raise the roll 209 to the high point of the cam and unlatch the lever 204 from the lever 226. The lever 226 will then be controlled by the cam 220 and will lower the plate P from the arch, as shown particularly in Fig. 1. Said plate will then be moved from the arch to the cooling and delivery end of the machine, being released by the arch stop 236.

In order to make the double shave without interference by the following plate, it is necessary to silence the first plate stop so that a plate on the loading end of the machine will be held out until the arch is ready to receive it. This is done in the following manner: A shaft 228 which controls one side of the plate lifters has mounted to one end. a cam 229, as shown in Fig. 9, As the shaft 228 is out of operation during one knife bar revolution, that is, just prior to the second shaving operation, the cam 229 w-ill likewisebe affected. The cam 229 is so designed and timed that it synchronizes with the cam 3|, fastened to the knife bar, in operating the first plate stop on every knife bar revolution for the single shave cycle, or silences the stop in raised position during the second cutting operati-on in the double shave cycle.

The cam 229, during and just prior to the second shave operation of the double shave cycle, will have its high point against a pin 23| which in turn holds a lever 31 against operation and thereby secures the first plate stop 36 in raised position.

The cam 3|, on each knife bar revolution, cooperates with a roller 32 on a stud 33 which is mounted in a slide 34, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 8. VThe slide 34 is slidably mounted in the first plate stop 36 and is held firmly in position by a spring 35. Since the first plate stopA 36 is held in raised position by the cam. 229, as described above, movement of the slide 34 will cause the spring 35 to be compressed with no resulting motion of the first plate stop 36.

On the knife bar revolution, following the second cut of the double shave cycle, the shaft 228 will be oscillated carrying with it the cam 229 which will bring the low side of the cam against a pin 23|, releasing said pins pressure from the lever 3l and permitting the stop.. 33 to be lowered in the normal. singleirevolutionfmanner.

' When the. cam 3l, comes in contact with the roll. 32 of the slide 3%., the spring 35, whichis made much stronger than the spring 238, will not be compressed as before and will force the stop 36V downward compressing a spring 2323 and allowing the next plate to be moved into the arch, repeating the shaving cycle for which the machine is set.

For a single shave cycle, the latch trip 253 is rotated by hand to such position that will cause a trip detent 2il5 to keep the trip 203 in contact with the lever 2M, as shown in Fig. 4. Rotation of the cam 2 I 5 will bring the toe 2Mb of lever 204 into contact at 213321 where it will keep the lever 234 clear of the lever 226, thereby allowing the cam 229 to have complete control over the lifting mechanism so that the plate may be raised into the arch, shaved, lowered, and removed at each knife bar revolution.

Thus, it is apparent that a new and useful mechanism has been invented which provides for automatically holding the plate in the shaving machine while two revolutions of the knife bar are made, thereby passing the knife or knives carried by the knife bar around twice to more accurately finish the concave surface of the printing plate. It is, of course, apparent that this device will operate successfully regardless of whether or not the concave surface of the plate carries the customary ribs or is entirely smooth. The means just described also constitute a safety device preventing the entry of a second plate into the shaving arch while a first plate is being shaved or finished during the second revolution of the knife bar.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details, herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

l. In a curved stereotype plate shaving machine, the combination with a rotatable knife bar, a plate holding arch concentric therewith, a movable first plate stop for holding the plates and then releasing the plates so that they can move into the arch, and means for rotating the knife bar twice in succession to provide two shaving cuts on the curved surface of the plate.

In a curved stereotype plate shaving machine, the combination with an arch for receiving the plate to be finished, means for raising the plate into the arch and holding it there, and a knife bar extending through the center of the arch, of means for rotating said knife bar continuously for two revolutions, whereby two shaving cuts are made on the curved surface of the plate, a rst plate stop for admitting the plates into the arch, and means for operating said plate stop at the end of each alternate revolution of the knife bar.

3. In a curved stereotype plate shaving machine, the combination with an arch for receiving the plate, a bar extending centrally therethrough, a shaving knife carried by said bar, and automatic means for causing the plate to remain clamped in the arch while the bar makes two revolutions` making a shaving cut on the curved surface of the plate at each revolution.

4. In a curved stereotype plate shaving machine, the combination with an arch for receiving the plate, a bar extending centrally therethrough, two knives carried by said bar for the more accurate finishing of the inside of the plate, an automatic device for holding the plate clamped inthe archwhilethefknifebar makes `two revolutionsand means forJ rotating the knife bar. continuously twice in immediate succession, whereby two shaving cuts are made on the curved surface ofthe plate.

5. In a curved stereotype plate shaving machine, the combination of an` arch for receiving the plates to be shaved, a rotatable knife bar in the arch, a knife on the knife bar, means for rotating the knife bar two continuous revolutions to shave the curved surface of the plate at each revolution, a first plate stop for controlling the admission of plates into the arch, and means for holding the first plate stop in contact with the next plate during the second revolution of the knife bar.

6. In a curved stereotype plate shaving machine, the combination of an arch for receiving the plates to be shaved, a knife bar extending through the arch and concentric therewith, means for locating two knives on the knife bar, means for rotating the knife bar two recolutions, whereby two shaving cuts are made on the curved surface of the plate, a first plate stop for controlling the admission of plates into the arch, and means for silencing the f-lrst plate stop during the second revolution of the knife bar.

7. In a stereotype plate shaving machine, the combination of an arch for receiving the plate to be finished, a knife bar in the arch at the center thereof having a knife for shaving the inside of the plate, and means for readily changing the machine from a one revolution machine to a tworevolution machine, the concaved surface being shaved at each revolution.

8. In a curved stereotype plate shaving machine, the combination with a concave arch for receiving the plate to be finished, means for raising the plate into the arch and holding it there, a knife bar extending through the center of the arch, means for rotating said knife bar, a hand lever, means operated by said lever for connecting the bar with a source of power to cause the bar to make two uninterrupted revolutions, shaving the curved surface of the plate at each revolution, a first plate stop for admitting the plates into the arch, and means for operating said plate stop at the end of each alternate revolution of the knife bar.

9. In a curved stereotype plate shaving machine, the combination with an arch for receiving the plate, a knife bar having a knife for shaving the inside of the plate, means for automatically lowering the plate after the knife bar has made two revolutions, shaving the concave surface at each revolution, and means for automatically releasing the plate.

10. In a stereotype plate shaving machine, the combination with an arch for receiving the plates to be shaved, of a reciprocable first plate stop located in position to allow or prevent plates entering the arch, a knife bar rotatable in the arch, a cam rotatable with the knife bar, a handoperated lever, a cam thereon, a pin operated by said last mentioned cam, a lever which said lastmentioned cam engages and operates, said lever having a projecting portion for engaging said plate stop in raised position.

l1. In a stereotype plate shaving machine, the combination with a shaving arch and means for automatically moving plates underneath and from the arch, means for clamping said plates in the arch, a shaving knife rotatably mounted concentric with the arch, of means for selectively causing the shaving knife to make one or two revolutions while the plate is clamped in the arch.

12. In a curved plate nishing machine including an arch and a shaving knife, means for automatically moving plates underneath and from the arch, means for clamping a printing plate in the arch, means for timing the passage of a plate through the machine so that the plate may be selectively handled to remain in the arch during one passage of the shaving knife or for a plurality of passages of the shaving knife, whereby a shaving cutis made in the curved surface at each revolution.

OSCAR C. ROESEN. 

